Reviving my Zoas

PwnMe

Posted 03 March 2012 - 07:28 AM

PwnMe

What smells better? Xenia or dead bodies?

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597 posts

Joined 18 Jan 2012

I have a pretty good case of ugly arse Zoas.
Almost all heads lost their colors. The stalks look miserable. Long and stringy.
No pests except for amphipods crawls all over them. Water conditions are within
a reasonable range with A,Rites,Rates all being zero. They are at the bottom of the
tank not in a shaded area. They open but are extremely brown. Some stalks detach
when I touch them. Iodide dip did not help very much.

PwnMe

Posted 03 March 2012 - 08:00 AM

PwnMe

What smells better? Xenia or dead bodies?

Members

597 posts

Joined 18 Jan 2012

Higher it is. I'll attempt but I actually moved them down because they are hard to place. They have really long stalks and are just hard to place anywhere. The light should be good enough for Zoas because my Xenia is going crazy and showing up everywhere, my ricordeas are giant. Its the Cadlights 8g stock lighting. 12" deep. I mean when they were up higher they still never fully opened and some heads detached more often. I have a good feeling they aren't going to make it. I tend not to give up though.

PwnMe

Posted 03 March 2012 - 08:03 AM

Feeding them can help color up, as well as increasing the intensity/spectrum of light they're receiving. After shipping I'm having the opposite and a few of mine are regaining color.

Since you answer all of my noob questions I'm just going to request your cell number and text you every second that I think I'm have an issue. Haha j/k.

As for feeding, I am using a green Phyto crap that I put in 8 drops bi weekly.

The lighting is 6.2 watts led lighting. I know that's low compared to some of the Par38s but Cadlights claims its equal to about 48 watts t5ho. I can't prove this, but my corals open up the millisecond it comes on.

asting

Posted 03 March 2012 - 08:26 AM

Since you answer all of my noob questions I'm just going to request your cell number and text you every second that I think I'm have an issue. Haha j/k.

As for feeding, I am using a green Phyto crap that I put in 8 drops bi weekly.

The lighting is 6.2 watts led lighting. I know that's low compared to some of the Par38s but Cadlights claims its equal to about 48 watts t5ho. I can't prove this, but my corals open up the millisecond it comes on.

I'm glad to help . There are plenty of very knowledgeable people on these forums whom i will imitate from time to time.I think it depends a lot on the type of zoa also. Some enjoy lower light and others higher. I'm inclined to think it's your lighting. Are they mounted high in the tank? What temperature is this lighting and what type? Perhaps the temperature is just more in the daylight 6700k range and they appear less colorful. If I remember correctly you have an 8G aqueon evolve? If it's the stock lighting I'd definitely consider upgrading.If you know you want to stock lots of coral you could do some pretty awesome things with LEDs for cheap. one par38 would be plenty, or you could make your own fixture with the 12 or 8 led kit from aquastyleonline too.

I base these suggestions under the assumption that your water quality is good, and that's likely given these are zoanthids which are very forgiving for the most part.

But before any of that is considered maybe others can post their suggestions.

PwnMe

Posted 03 March 2012 - 08:40 AM

PwnMe

What smells better? Xenia or dead bodies?

Members

597 posts

Joined 18 Jan 2012

I'm glad to help . There are plenty of very knowledgeable people on these forums whom i will imitate from time to time.I think it depends a lot on the type of zoa also. Some enjoy lower light and others higher. I'm inclined to think it's your lighting. Are they mounted high in the tank? What temperature is this lighting and what type? Perhaps the temperature is just more in the daylight 6700k range and they appear less colorful. If I remember correctly you have an 8G aqueon evolve? If it's the stock lighting I'd definitely consider upgrading.If you know you want to stock lots of coral you could do some pretty awesome things with LEDs for cheap. one par38 would be plenty, or you could make your own fixture with the 12 or 8 led kit from aquastyleonline too.

I base these suggestions under the assumption that your water quality is good, and that's likely given these are zoanthids which are very forgiving for the most part.

But before any of that is considered maybe others can post their suggestions.

Cadlights 8gallon with stock "reef" lighting. It is kinda white and washes out the colors. It's got some blue leds in a 1/3 blue 2/3 white ratio. They just haven't looked good since I bought them. I'm going to move them up. Think I should attempt a dipping again?

camry90

Posted 03 March 2012 - 09:09 AM

asting

Posted 03 March 2012 - 09:28 AM

asting

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What can we feed them with? Any good brand of food?

I've fed pellet food, demysis, brine, and just recently reef cleaners filter food. I'm not sure which is the best. I've heard great things about the reef cleaners food in regards to coloring up, so hopefully everything does. Pellets are a pain to feed though because you have to place one in each mouth. I prefer to just shoot some food through a syringe in the directions of my corals. They eat then.

Cadlights 8gallon with stock "reef" lighting. It is kinda white and washes out the colors. It's got some blue leds in a 1/3 blue 2/3 white ratio. They just haven't looked good since I bought them. I'm going to move them up. Think I should attempt a dipping again?

Unless you have a parasite or disease dipping will just stress them out and hurt your odds. I'd hold off.a 2:1 w:b ratio will give seemingly bland colors. A lot of those "amazing" corals you see are under a really blue light source. If you're going to move them up put them in a slightly sheltered area (not super high flow) and leave it for a few days. A lot of times coral just need some time to adapt.

Mr.X

Posted 03 March 2012 - 09:36 AM

Mr.X

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I've fed pellet food, demysis, brine, and just recently reef cleaners filter food. I'm not sure which is the best. I've heard great things about the reef cleaners food in regards to coloring up, so hopefully everything does. Pellets are a pain to feed though because you have to place one in each mouth. I prefer to just shoot some food through a syringe in the directions of my corals. They eat then.

Unless you have a parasite or disease dipping will just stress them out and hurt your odds. I'd hold off.a 2:1 w:b ratio will give seemingly bland colors. A lot of those "amazing" corals you see are under a really blue light source. If you're going to move them up put them in a slightly sheltered area (not super high flow) and leave it for a few days. A lot of times coral just need some time to adapt.

I don't know if this will help but I had an over population of Amphipods decimate 90% of my zoas and all my blastos. When i got my 6-Line Wrasse the problem went away after 1 week.

camry90

Posted 03 March 2012 - 09:55 AM

camry90

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I found a patasia on my zoa frag and I try to kill it with hot water. The way it's placed, I could hardly get a direct hit. I injected anyway hoping to get it but what I didn't check was an other frag of zoa in direct line of fire. lol oh man... I hope it's not dead.

asting

Posted 03 March 2012 - 10:07 AM

asting

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I found a patasia on my zoa frag and I try to kill it with hot water. The way it's placed, I could hardly get a direct hit. I injected anyway hoping to get it but what I didn't check was an other frag of zoa in direct line of fire. lol oh man... I hope it's not dead.

I got some aiptasia on one of my newest frags also. Peppermint shrimp time!

PwnMe

Posted 03 March 2012 - 12:24 PM

PwnMe

What smells better? Xenia or dead bodies?

Members

597 posts

Joined 18 Jan 2012

I've fed pellet food, demysis, brine, and just recently reef cleaners filter food. I'm not sure which is the best. I've heard great things about the reef cleaners food in regards to coloring up, so hopefully everything does. Pellets are a pain to feed though because you have to place one in each mouth. I prefer to just shoot some food through a syringe in the directions of my corals. They eat then.

Unless you have a parasite or disease dipping will just stress them out and hurt your odds. I'd hold off.a 2:1 w:b ratio will give seemingly bland colors. A lot of those "amazing" corals you see are under a really blue light source. If you're going to move them up put them in a slightly sheltered area (not super high flow) and leave it for a few days. A lot of times coral just need some time to adapt.

Trust me... I can look at my tank and note the bland colors haha.They aren't as horribly bad as you would think though... they look very very natural. The whiteness gives the tank a clean look actually. A Par is in my future if not a DIY. These are legit browned. I did not dip and I kinda... accidentally fragged them trying to move them. I moved them higher though.

Quickie question. I'm a water parameter freak. I have like tunnels under my rock work for stuff to climb down. If a zoa head got stuck under my rockwork and died, how much is it going to kill my water conditions?

justjoshinya

Posted 03 March 2012 - 12:46 PM

justjoshinya

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not only a zoa head could end up down there, lots of detritus can end up settling down in these tunnels and begin decomposing leading to tiny ammonia and nitrate spikes like a mini cycle which can hurt your parameters but no worries thats what water changes are for, what are these tunnels made from?? PVC or tubing or something if so when you do a water change just suck some from the tunnels see what you pull outa there, i put a filter sock on my tubing i use to do water changes so i can put zoa polyps back that accidently get sucked up, i had a big colony of zoas shed a lot of heads when i first put it in the tank but these eventually settled and opened up in their new homes. good luck!!!

PwnMe

Posted 03 March 2012 - 01:21 PM

PwnMe

What smells better? Xenia or dead bodies?

Members

597 posts

Joined 18 Jan 2012

Just natural little tunnels formed by the rock and hermit crabs with a bunch of time on their hands. I got enough Amphipods to not worry about any garbage in my tank. I watch them like little work ants every night pulling food to their little holes in the rock.

I don't know if this will help but I had an over population of Amphipods decimate 90% of my zoas and all my blastos. When i got my 6-Line Wrasse the problem went away after 1 week.

Also keeping this in mind. All other corals are unaffected and they only bother my Zoas.

PwnMe

Posted 03 March 2012 - 01:58 PM

PwnMe

What smells better? Xenia or dead bodies?

Members

597 posts

Joined 18 Jan 2012

Here are the results of my fragging and moving.

My accidental fragging led to 3 little colonys. One looked relatively ok so I moved it near my Xenia at the top of the reef. It opened up within 20 minutes with normal coloration and a few brown heads. Looks pretty darn healthy given the circumstances. This accidental fragging left no amphipods on the zoas. I'm sure they're be on them again in no time but for now they are undisturbed.

You can see them in the lower corner. They are moved under the Xenia in a hole in the rockwork.

asting

Posted 03 March 2012 - 02:30 PM

asting

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A single zoa head, hell a whole frag won't throw off your parameters that much.
They look okay to me. Something that hasn't been mentioned is that they change color under different intensity lighting, so they may have looked good when you got them then slowly lost their color under your lower intensity whiter lighting.
Be careful with xenia by the way. While fun, it will take over your whole tank.

tinctorus

Posted 03 March 2012 - 04:13 PM

tinctorus

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I feed ALL of my zoa's mysis and reef plankton, I shut off the pumps for an hour and take a small baster and squirt them with food, Since I started feeding them I have noticed a exponential amount of growth especially from my red people eaters and my whammin watermelons